DALLAS, GA - According to a report from Fox 5, nearly 200 family-run businesses are frantically looking for new locations after the city of Dallas ordered the shut-down of a well-known shopping market.
The location is known as the Dallas Markets, which opened two years ago in a Paulding County-area warehouse. The popular shopping destination boasts a variety of locally designed arts and crats, food trucks and live entertainment. And like many shopping destinations, the upcoming holiday season tends to be their most successful time of the year.
All that changed when the Dallas Markets' owner, Andrew Rodriguez, started to build what appears to be a bunker. Craig Stark, one of the displaced vendors, said, "Nobody could go in the back because he was keeping it a secret. Everybody was whispering, what's going on? What's going on?"
Not only did the vendors have several questions, but so did the Dallas Fire Marshal. Questions like, "What was that weird structure going up in Building Three near the main Dallas Markets location?" and "What's with all the shipping containers stacked on top?" Another question was, "Why didn't anyone pull the proper permits to do such things?"
City attorney, Darrin Keaton, said, "We were very surprised as to the extent of what was going on." According to a city inspection field report that was published on October 26th, there was a series of unpermitted work that had been done at the property stretching all the way back to August, including multiple electrical code violations.
Keaton said that that the Dallas Markets owner promised to have his architect send a letter explaining the work. However, that is not what happened and on October 27th, the architect expressed his concern. Gaylon Lerch wrote to Dallas officials, "I am hereby notifying you of conditions I find potentially dangerous to public health and safety."
He told officials that his client, Rodriguez, did not consult him on the true extent of the project that was well underway at Building Three. He said that Rodriguez described the new construction as "bunker and support facilities" that was equipped with an "armory, panic room, pantry, bunk room" and a septic field, which is not allowed by the city of Dallas.
There were also concrete walls 12 to 16 inches thick with vault-style doors and the bunker itself was 2,500 square feet. Dallas has since suspended the business license for Dallas Markets and cited Rodriguez for four violations, including ignoring zoning rules. He was ordered to remove all shipping containers within 72 hours and is due in court on December 1st.
Keaton said in a statement, "We can't let people wander around or be on that property if we don't know that it's 100 percent safe." Unfortunately, the decision by the city of Dallas could not have come at a worse time for the vendors and their customers. Stark, one of the vendors, paid Rodriguez $440 a month plus a portion of his sales. He has a Bladeworx knife sharpening business in the Dallas Markets.
In October, after the markets were ordered closed, he had to borrow money from his children to quickly rent a small building on Hardee Street so that he could stay open for business. He said, "This is my livelihood. This is my business. This is what I do to feed my family."
Standing outside the recently closed off Dallas Markets, Rodriguez said that he too had his family in mind, adding, "I don't understand why this has turned into something other than me trying to take care of my family and the community." He said, "I think a lot of this is just getting into a conversation and getting permission."
According to FOX 5, in the months leading up to the unauthorized work, Rodriguez reportedly made a series of posts on his social media. Many of them were him reposting other warnings about impending doom on the United States and ideas on how to survive what is "certain to come," like how to make your own penicillin out of plants.
One of the vendors of Dallas Markets said that Rodriguez gave them a handwritten note on their group page warning them about the FBI and saying that "spies were installed at the Dallas Markets and everything was hacked." Then, there was a fairly long video that Rodriguez recorded and shared with his vendors.
During the four-minute livestream, he said, "I'm going to read you this letter that was given to me by a vision from God. God has called us to be warriors and we are going to take this country back in his name!"
He would not explain those messages that he sent to his vendors, but that he did feel bad for what they've gone through, and that he wishes he sought permission first before building. He said, "I don't know that I've broken anybody's trust. I think I've always pushed the envelope. I don't always know all the rules and regulations to do things. I've learned things the hard way sometimes."
Dallas Mayor James Kelly said in a statement, "We have to follow our own ordinances and codes that are established within our city government or else there would be chaos and disorder. We are currently working with the business owners to help get them in compliance."
The location is known as the Dallas Markets, which opened two years ago in a Paulding County-area warehouse. The popular shopping destination boasts a variety of locally designed arts and crats, food trucks and live entertainment. And like many shopping destinations, the upcoming holiday season tends to be their most successful time of the year.
All that changed when the Dallas Markets' owner, Andrew Rodriguez, started to build what appears to be a bunker. Craig Stark, one of the displaced vendors, said, "Nobody could go in the back because he was keeping it a secret. Everybody was whispering, what's going on? What's going on?"
Not only did the vendors have several questions, but so did the Dallas Fire Marshal. Questions like, "What was that weird structure going up in Building Three near the main Dallas Markets location?" and "What's with all the shipping containers stacked on top?" Another question was, "Why didn't anyone pull the proper permits to do such things?"
City attorney, Darrin Keaton, said, "We were very surprised as to the extent of what was going on." According to a city inspection field report that was published on October 26th, there was a series of unpermitted work that had been done at the property stretching all the way back to August, including multiple electrical code violations.
Keaton said that that the Dallas Markets owner promised to have his architect send a letter explaining the work. However, that is not what happened and on October 27th, the architect expressed his concern. Gaylon Lerch wrote to Dallas officials, "I am hereby notifying you of conditions I find potentially dangerous to public health and safety."
He told officials that his client, Rodriguez, did not consult him on the true extent of the project that was well underway at Building Three. He said that Rodriguez described the new construction as "bunker and support facilities" that was equipped with an "armory, panic room, pantry, bunk room" and a septic field, which is not allowed by the city of Dallas.
There were also concrete walls 12 to 16 inches thick with vault-style doors and the bunker itself was 2,500 square feet. Dallas has since suspended the business license for Dallas Markets and cited Rodriguez for four violations, including ignoring zoning rules. He was ordered to remove all shipping containers within 72 hours and is due in court on December 1st.
Keaton said in a statement, "We can't let people wander around or be on that property if we don't know that it's 100 percent safe." Unfortunately, the decision by the city of Dallas could not have come at a worse time for the vendors and their customers. Stark, one of the vendors, paid Rodriguez $440 a month plus a portion of his sales. He has a Bladeworx knife sharpening business in the Dallas Markets.
In October, after the markets were ordered closed, he had to borrow money from his children to quickly rent a small building on Hardee Street so that he could stay open for business. He said, "This is my livelihood. This is my business. This is what I do to feed my family."
Standing outside the recently closed off Dallas Markets, Rodriguez said that he too had his family in mind, adding, "I don't understand why this has turned into something other than me trying to take care of my family and the community." He said, "I think a lot of this is just getting into a conversation and getting permission."
According to FOX 5, in the months leading up to the unauthorized work, Rodriguez reportedly made a series of posts on his social media. Many of them were him reposting other warnings about impending doom on the United States and ideas on how to survive what is "certain to come," like how to make your own penicillin out of plants.
One of the vendors of Dallas Markets said that Rodriguez gave them a handwritten note on their group page warning them about the FBI and saying that "spies were installed at the Dallas Markets and everything was hacked." Then, there was a fairly long video that Rodriguez recorded and shared with his vendors.
During the four-minute livestream, he said, "I'm going to read you this letter that was given to me by a vision from God. God has called us to be warriors and we are going to take this country back in his name!"
He would not explain those messages that he sent to his vendors, but that he did feel bad for what they've gone through, and that he wishes he sought permission first before building. He said, "I don't know that I've broken anybody's trust. I think I've always pushed the envelope. I don't always know all the rules and regulations to do things. I've learned things the hard way sometimes."
Dallas Mayor James Kelly said in a statement, "We have to follow our own ordinances and codes that are established within our city government or else there would be chaos and disorder. We are currently working with the business owners to help get them in compliance."
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Comments
2023-11-25T18:42-0500 | Comment by: Dennie
Sorry as former Business owner in (Two-States Now Retired and Prepper:) (This person should have known or been aware in each City,County,State we all must check legal, Local,State Building Codes and or other Compliance Working Codes.This applies to Business and or Home,Property ownership. All Off Grid and or/ Property no matter most States with the 49 States out of 50. All have basic Codes in the Uniformity Building,Electrical General Codes to obey with even the DC area. So either get a good Attorney on Code Compliance in his Business/ or Property area of move out of this location of Less Red Tape including,Codes,Permits requirements or be willing to Pay Large Fines As a Business Owner it is up to us be knowledgeable of our own City,County,State Codes and/or Rules.Eignerates is not a good excuse in today Legal Litigation of Citizens the Common USA Legally Citizens. That is not with well Known Last Name or Big Business Deep Pockets at their disposal in 2023. Good Luck Prayers to you and your Family Business.Retired in Nampa, Idaho. That is what a CPA,Legal Consultants Contractors and/or Building Local knowledgeable person's are for. Prevents costly errors Court cost or imprisonments Bankruptcy Lost Property under Liens or Imminent Domain Action by Government entities on your Property in the Court Actions. ) 11/25/2023 Nampa, Idaho.